Improvement in tobacco-sucker-germ destroyers



.J. H. KNAUS, J. R. HARFORD, W. C. KNAUS & A. J. FURR.

TOBACCO SUCKER-GERM DESTROYER. N.13'3,635. Patented 0ct.24.-,1876.

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WITI lESSES: 2% l ENTOB:

L MPEYERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHMGTON D C UNITED 'STATEs PATENTOFFICE.

JOSEPH H. KNAUs, JOHN R. HARFORD, WALTER o. KNAUS, AND ANDREW J.

FURR, OF BOONSBOROUGH, MISSOURI.

I'MPROVEM ENT lN TQBACCO-SUCKER-GERM DESTROYERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,686, dated October24, 1876 application filed September 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that =we,-JosEPH H. KNAUs, J OHN R. HARFORD, WALTER O.KNAUS, and ANDREW J. FURR, of Boonsborough, county of Howard, andStateof Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Tobacco-Sucker- GermDestroyer, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is a sideview of our improved instrument, parts being broken away to show theconstruction. Fig.2isadetailcross-section taken through the line 00 m,Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of thetobacco-sucker-germ destroyer for which Letters Patent No. 172,036 weregranted to Joseph H. Knaus and John R. Harford, January 11, 1876, so asto make it simpler in construction, more convenient in use, less liableto injure the small leaves of the plants, more durable, and less liableto get out of order.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter described and claimed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the handle, to which, near its ends, are attached the ends of tworods, B. The upper parts of the rods B are parallel with each other, andat or a little below their middle parts the said rods have a forwardofl'set formed in them, the offset of the rear rod being the longer, soas to bring their lower parts, which are also parallel with each other,closer together than their upper parts, as shown in Fig. 1. To thehandle A, near the forward rod B, is swiveled the upper end of a thirdrod, 0, which has a spiral thread, D, formed upon its upper part. Thethree rods B G B pass through holes in the cross-bar E, the hole for therod 0 having a notch in one side to receive the thread D, so that thesaid rod 0 may be rotated by the up-and-down movement of the saidcross-bar E. Upon the end parts of the cross-bar E, at the inner side ofthe holes through its ends, are formed downwardly-projecting arms e theends of which are bent outward, and have holes formed through them ..toreceive the rods B, so that the cross-bar E may be kept at right angleswith the rods B O B while moving up and down upon them. Thisconstruction leaves an unobstructed space between the rod 0 and the rearrod B for the hand of the operator. Upon the cross-bar E, at the rearside of the rod 0, is formed a downwardly-projecting guardarm, e, tokeep the rotating rod 0 and its thread D from coming in contact with theforefinger of the operators hand. The cross-bar E is raised by thefingers of the hand that grasps the handle A, and is pressed down by thesteel spring F, the lower end of which is secured to the upper side ofthe cross-bar E, and its upper end slides in a shallow groove in thelower side of the handle A. The spring F has a coil formed in it at itslower end to give it greater elasticity. G is a socket, which slidesupon the lower end of the rotating rod 0, and upon the lower end ofwhich are formed two arms, 9. The arms 9 project outward and forward,are bent back in lines parallel with the lower parts of the rods B, andhave their ends bent outward and perforated, to receive the lower endsof the rods B. Upon the upper end of the socket G are formed two arms, 9which project upward and outward, and have their upper ends bent outwardand perforated to receive the rods B. The socket-frame G g g is keptfrom dropping off the rods B by heads formed upon the lower ends of saidrods. By this construction the angles of the arms 9 project below theends of the rods B, so that the lower ends of said rods, when theinstrument is being used, cannot project to injure the small leaves ofthe plants, or to run into the ground when operating upon the lowerparts of the stalks. The angle of inclination, or the curve of the armsg 9 is immaterial, so long as the arms g have a cavity between them toguide the cutter or drill into the junction formed by the leaf and stalkof the plant. The socket-frame G g g is held down by a steel spring, H,the upper end of which is attached to the ofiset of the rear rod B, andits lower end passes through and slides in a hole in the forward arm 9The spring H has a coil formed in it at its upper end to increase itselasticity. The lower parts of the three rods B O B are held in theirproper relative position by a cross-bar, I, through holes in which thesaid rods pass, and against the up- I per side of which rests a collar,0 formed upon the rotating rod 0. J is a cutter, which is secured to thelower end of the rod 0 by a sleeve, 0 placed upon the lower end of thesaid rod 0, and the upper end of which rests against the lower side ofthe cross-bar I. The rods B O B are made of such a length that, when theparts of the instrument are left free, the cutter J may be within thesocket G, as shown in Fig. 1.

In using the instrument, the handle A is grasped in the hand, with thefingers beneath the cross-bar E, and the cavity between the arms 9 isplaced against the tobacco-stalk, directly over the sucker-germ, and ispressed against said stalk with sufficient force to force thesocket-frame G g 9 upward and cause the cutterJ to projectagainst saidgerm. Thecrossbar E is then drawn upward with the fingers, which rotatesthe rod 0 and the cutter J, and cuts out and destroys the germ, so thatit will not grow again.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. The rear rod B, bent forward or toward thefront rod B, the rotating cutter-bearing rod 0, arranged contiguous tosaid front rod, the cross-bar I, and vertically-reciprocating bar E, allcombined as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. The forked part G 9 made in the form of the letter W, in combinationwith rod 0, bar E, handle A, and rods B B, as shown and described.

JOSEPH HENRY KNAUS.

JOHN ROBERT HARFORD. WALTER OREWS KNAUS. ANDREW JOHNSON FURR.

Witnesses:

W. W. WHYTE, J. H. TAYLOR.

